BlackBerry Bold 9700: Why It's The Best BlackBerry Ever

BlackBerry enthusiasts, "CrackBerry" addicts and gadget-headsin the United States can now officially purchase Research In Motion's (RIM) latest and greatest smartphone: the BlackBerry Bold 9700. I've used many BlackBerrys in my day, but this is almost my dream smartphone...almost.

T-Mobile became the first U.S. carrier to offer RIM's new Bold smartphone when it listed the device for sale last Monday for $199.99 with a new, qualifying two-year wireless service contract. AT&T quickly followed suit, releasing its own version of the Bold 9700 to the masses a week later for the same exact price and contract commitment--after a mail-in rebate.

I've been using the T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 for a few weeks now, and I'm nothing short of infatuated with the smartphone. It has nearly everything I want in a high-end device. It's reasonably priced--the original BlackBerry Bold, the Bold 9000, was more expensive upon release more than a year ago and still sells for $199.99 on contract. And the 9700's just plain ol' good-lookin'.

To continue reading, register here and become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

BlackBerry enthusiasts, "CrackBerry" addicts and gadget-headsin the United States can now officially purchase Research In Motion's (RIM) latest and greatest smartphone: the BlackBerry Bold 9700. I've used many BlackBerrys in my day, but this is almost my dream smartphone...almost.

T-Mobile became the first U.S. carrier to offer RIM's new Bold smartphone when it listed the device for sale last Monday for $199.99 with a new, qualifying two-year wireless service contract. AT&T quickly followed suit, releasing its own version of the Bold 9700 to the masses a week later for the same exact price and contract commitment--after a mail-in rebate.

I've been using the T-Mobile BlackBerry Bold 9700 for a few weeks now, and I'm nothing short of infatuated with the smartphone. It has nearly everything I want in a high-end device. It's reasonably priced--the original BlackBerry Bold, the Bold 9000, was more expensive upon release more than a year ago and still sells for $199.99 on contract. And the 9700's just plain ol' good-lookin'.

Here are nine reasons, in reverse order, why the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 is RIM's best BlackBerry ever. If you're considering a BlackBerry upgrade or are thinking of taking the plunge into the world of BlackBerry for the first time, I strongly suggest you keep these points in mind when checking out the Bold 9700.

Still, you'll find a few minor shortcomings. None of them are deal-breakers in my opinion--I wouldn't be naming the Bold 9700 RIM's best BlackBerry ever if they were---but the points are worth noting, nonetheless.

Hit that jump for specifics. And you can check out a full BlackBerry Bold 9700 unboxing here.

9) BlackBerry Bold 9700 Screen Resolution: The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has the highest screen resolution or pixel count of any existing BlackBerry smartphone with a 480x360 pixel display. That's the same resolution as the new BlackBerry Storm2and the BlackBerry Tour 9630, which was first released last July by Verizon Wireless in the United States.

The iPhone 3GS, by comparison, has a 480x320 pixel screen, which means images and video generally don't look as sharp on Apple's smartphone as on the Bold 9700.

I've watched a variety of music videos, movie clips and scrolled through countless images on the device, and the Bold 9700's screen is simply beautiful.

8) BlackBerry Bold 9700 Application Memory: RIM packed the Bold 9700 with 256MB of Flash application memory--the most of any BlackBerry, and the same amount of app memory as Storm2 and Tour. The BlackBerry OS restricts users' application storage to the app memory, so the larger amount of application memory available, the more apps that you can store and employ at a given time.

I'm not exactly satisfied with just 256MB of app memory--512MB or more would certainly be better--but it's a step up from the Bold 9000's 128MB of flash. And it's the most app memory RIM has squeezed into any BlackBerry to date.

7) BlackBerry Bold 9700's 3.2 Megapixel, Autofocus Digital Camera: The 3.2 megapixel camera found on the BlackBerry Bold 9700's really nothing to write home about, but it's a solid, mobile phone camera and the best you'll find on any of RIM's handhelds. The Bold 9700's camera has autofocus features, which can take some getting used to--the on-screen autofocus "box" is a bit awkward at times. But pictures generally appear vivid and clear.